Â Â Â The FDA has approved orphan drug status for Seattle Geneticâ€™s two drugs SGN-33 and SGN-35. Orphan drug status allows Seattle Genetics to obtain marketing exclusivity of the drug upon approval. More importantly, it also allows Seattle Genetics an opportunity to obtain grant funding from the U.S. government to support clinical trials and defray costs. The Orphan Drug Act encourages companies to develop treatment for diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people a year.

Â Â Â SGN-33 has shown anti-tumor effects in phase I studies. SGN-33 (lintuzumab) is a humanized monoclonal antibodyterm that targets the CD33 antigen. SGN-33 is expected to enter clinical phase II by the end of 2007 testing mainly older patients with AML and MDS.